Collecting vinyl isn’t just for lovers of vintage music; a growing number of younger record collectors are getting involved in the addictive pastime – and with good reason.

Vinyl is back and spinning into our lives. A surprise success story in an industry that is largely dominated by digital, last year it recorded its highest sales since 1988. A sound and quality investment, you can find these covetable and collectable blasts from the past at online auction houses such as catawiki.com.

When I think of vinyl, I recall my childhood, when my father, now 64, would play the likes of Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin for hours on end on his old yet fully functioning record player. His generation enjoyed the pinnacle of the vinyl era.

In 2016, however, it is no longer just the baby boomers keeping the old flame alive and spinning. Astonishingly, as every other format of music sales spirals downhill, the vinyl revival is only increasing in volume – and that is largely thanks to millennials.

In 2015, consumer research website Music Watch reported that under-25s made half of the vinyl purchases in the United States. That represents a peachy 8 million records bought by today’s youth.

Even Justin Bieber sells surprisingly well on vinyl
It seems that touchy-feely vinyl is serving up a whole new listening experience and a visceral new way to engage with music that is being lapped up by curious snap-instagramming-twittering adolescents. Even more surprising, they are more interested in investing in old records and limited edition sets than current chart hits.

“In an increasingly digital age, vinyl records can provide a deeper, tactile connection to music that resonates with some of the biggest fans,” according to Josh Friedlander, vice-president of strategic data analysis at the Recording Industry Association of America.

Modern-day musicians are not oblivious to this fact. Adele’s 25 and Taylor Swift’s 1989 records were both in the top five album vinyl sales of 2015. Even Justin Bieber sells surprisingly well on vinyl. Overall in 2015, sales in the US rose by 30 per cent, with 12 million records sold. That was a staggering increase on 2014, when sales peaked at 9 million. In the UK, vinyl is expected to smash past the three-million mark by the end of this year.

If you invest in a vinyl collection, your taste in and appreciation of music can soar. Although recent popular artists are cashing in on the buzz, the majority of collectors listen to artists from the original vinyl era. David Bowie’s Blackstar is set to be the biggest seller of 2016, closely followed by musical and cultural giant such as Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd.

In the UK, vinyl is expected to smash past the three-million mark by the end of this year
These artists and their vinyl output, symbolic of an era that isn’t defined by commercial success, boy bands, or run by record company accountants, tell us a story that cannot be discovered via the click of a finger.

And you are not only investing in quality music but also a quality work of art. The square sleeve format is an integral part of the experience, and one that expanded the careers of artists such as Andy Warhol, Roger Dean, Burt Goldblatt and Peter Saville.

Their designs created a visual language for music and turned records into some of the most recognisable of the world’s artworks.

Be smart and invest now because these stunning visual masterpieces are only going up in price and demand. In the late 1960s, the Beatles’ iconic album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band cost $2-$3. Today an original from this era is estimated at $280 (£225).

So vinyl looks good – but most importantly, how good does it sound?

“Many digital music files and streaming services have sound that is actually quite poor, because of their compression. Vinyl produces a much fuller sound, which balances the quiets and the louds,” says Chad Jacobsen, chief sound engineer of Iowa State University music department.

In other words, vinyl is full-fat while digital is semi-skimmed. Technically, digital may be a little cleaner but a lot of beneficial elements get filtered out. The difference isn’t huge but vinyl does provide a richer and fuller sound that should keep you satisfied longer, making it a foolproof investment.

Don’t call it a comeback – vinyl has been here for years. It’s time to face the music and start your vinyl collection. Check out Catawiki’s weekly record auctions to see what vintage pieces for record prices they have in store for you.

I know it's a little OT, but the differences between digital and analog in my system are very small at this point. They both sound terrific. In some cases the vinyl sounds better than the same album in digital format. Of course it can go the other way as well.

But I agree with the article that it's a good time to "invest" in vinyl, and a good time to try and find the stuff you loved as a kid. There is definitely some nostalgia mixed in there for me!

When I buy vinyl I consider it an expense but in a way it does allow me to "invest" in myself since the return on investment is the pleasure derived.

That's a great post.....I've felt the exact same way.....there is a tactile experience when it comes to spinning a complete record that you cannot get in any way by clicking a mouse and listening to a typical digital file on your computer. Dimming the lights down low and putting a record on the system is an actual experience.....it makes the expense of buying vinyl well worth it!

Digital and analogue coexist in my system quite happily. Its fun to compare one with the other during tweeks and upgrades. Great too while listening to a sacd I can choose the next vinyl recording and vice versa.

I know it's a little OT, but the differences between digital and analog in my system are very small at this point. They both sound terrific. In some cases the vinyl sounds better than the same album in digital format. Of course it can go the other way as well.

When the difference between the two is very small, it means it's time to step up the quality of your analogue components to reveal what is hiding on the LP. Even with superb digital, the vinyl should always be better (given a decent recording.)

When the difference between the two is very small, it means it's time to step up the quality of your analogue components to reveal what is hiding on the LP. Even with superb digital, the vinyl should always be better (given a decent recording.)